Middle ring for pipe-couplings.



m. 887,859. I PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

I F. 81. SMITH. I MIDDLE RING FOR'PIPE COUPLINGS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1907.

' PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

F. N. SMITH. MIDDLE RING FOR PIPE COUPLINGS.

APPLICATION FILEDJULY l, 1907.

2 SHEETS$HEE T 2.

WITNES I INVENTOR j; & 63M JP 9' K Y MmfiMMA/W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK N. SMITH, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO S. R. DRESSER MANIIFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

MIDDLE RING FOR PIPE-COUPLINGS.

No. 887,859. Specification of I Application filed July 1, 1907. Serial No. 381,696.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK N. SMITH, citizen of the United States, residing at Bradford, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements inMiddle Rings for Pi e-Couphngs; and I do hereby declare the'fo owing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one form in which'I have contemplated embodying the invention and several slight modifications thereof and said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

My invention relates to that class of pipe cou lings generally known in the trade as ru ber packed pipe couplings which comprise a middle ring or coupling sleeve, two clamping rings having recesses to receive ackings, annular packings or packing rings, ocated in said recesses and engaging the ends of the middle ring or coupling sleeve, and bolts connecting said clamping rings.

My invention consists in an improved middle ring or coupling sleeve for such cou hugs and consists in the novel features t ereof which are hereinafter described.

' Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 re resents a sectional view of the 1pc sections and a coupling therefor of the kind described embodying my resent invention. Fig. 2 is a partial sectiona view of a slightly modified form of the middle ring or coupling sleeve shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 to 9 are similar views of other slightly modified forms of the middle ring or coupling sleeve.

In Fig. 1, A A represents the meeting ends of two pipe sections which it is desired to connect by a coupling, said pipe sections having plain or unthreaded end portions. B, B rep resent the clamping rings surrounding said pipe sections and provided with packing r e cesses b.

C represents my improved middle ring or sleeve surrounding the meeting portions of the pi es.

D, D represent the annular packings or packing rings lying in the packing recesses-b meeting en s of two of the middle ring and expanding them laterally against the pipes and the outer walls of the acking recesses, to form a tight joint. In t e manufacture of these middle rings or sleeves, it is desirable to make the main body thereof, of as thin material as is consistent with strength, and at the same time to have the packing engaging portions of considerable thickness, in order to offer a comparacure the proper compression of the same, without danger of cutting the packing, or of having it crowd out' of the packing recesses, inside of or outside of the middle ring. To this end I form the main body, preferably of relatively thin material and thicken the end portions of the ring. to rovide packing en gaging portions of muc greater thickness than that of the intermediate portions of-the ring. The middle rings made in accordance with my invention may be made of cast metal, if desired, but I prefer to make them of wrought metal, as wrought iron or steel. In Fig. 1 the middle ring or sleeve C consists of a cylindrical body, havin its interior rib c which is termed the centering stop, and which serves to center the coupling over the meeting ends of thepipes by limiting the distance to which each pipe section can be inserted into the sleeve or middle ring. The ring Cis referably made of wrought iron or steel as t in as can be used and yet rovide the requisite strength and each en ring is thickened as y upsetting the wrought metal, as shown at c in the drawing Fig. 1, part of the excess thickness extending inwardly, and part outwardly, be 0nd the inner and opper faces of the centra or intermediate po 'ons of the ring. In this form of the ring the end portions are rounded where they engage the packing rings. The thickened or 11 set portions of the ring substanfially fill tiie outer portions of the ackin recesses, in'the clamping rings and t e ac ing rings will, therefore, be very even y compressed and compacted in their recesses, against the pipes and the outer walls and ends of the recesses b b.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a section of a modified form of ring 0 similar 'to that-shown in Fig. l'in which the end portions are thickof the clamping rmgs and E, E represent ened so that the surplus metal is forced to tively broad face to engage the packing to se-' face provided with a central annu ar flange or.

bolts connecting the clamping rings for compressing the packing rings against the endsof the project entirely beyond the outer face of the ring as shown at c and the intermediate portions of the ring are bowed outwardly as at c or in the same direction as the rojectingi lip formed by the surplus metai at the GIN S.

In Fig. 3, I have shown another modified form of ring C similar to that shown in Fig. 1, except that the ends are thickened as at c c and the surplus metal caused to project entirely inwardly, and the intermediate portions of the ring are bowed inwardly as at e or in the same direction as" the projecting lip formed by the surplus metal at the ends.

I have found by experiment that the greatest strength to resist longitudinal strain on these rings can be obtained by forming the intermediate portions of the ring in a general line with the center of the projections formed by thickenin or upsetting the end portions and I, there ore, form the intermediate portions of the wall of said. ring straight when the surplus metal at the thickened end set, to provide an inclined backing engagingface 0 to assist in com ressing the packing against the exterior'of t e pi e sections, the

surplus metal being equally istributed and the intermediate portions of the walls of the ring being straight.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of a similar ring C having the same inclined face, but in this case the surplus metal at its ends is disposed entirely on the outside of the ring and the intermediate portions are bowed outwardly as at 0 Fig. 6 shows a partial section of a ring similar to that shown in Figs. 4 and 5 but leaving the surplus metal at its ends disposed *interiorly and the intermediate portions of the ring are bowed inwardly as at 0 Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are views similar respectively to Figs. 4, 5 and 6 and illustrate middle rings 0, C and C having the ends upset or thickened and provided with oppositely inclined packing enga ing faces c 0 meeting at the extreme ends 0 the ring, and adapted to force the packing both inwardly and outwardly when the bolts of the coupling are tightened. In Fi 7 the surplus metal at the ends is evenly istributed both inside and outside and the intermediate portions of the ring are straight. In Fig. 8, the surplus metal at the ends extends on the outside and the intermediate portions of the ring are bowed outwardly, as at 0 In Fig. 9 the I of its wall adjacent to the centra surplus metal at the ends of the rings is disposed on the inner side of the ring and the ,rings may be thickened in other ways. For example, I may form these rings from a previously rolled or prepared skelp or plate of the desired cross section, which skelp 'is provided with thickened edge portions, and the rings may be formed by taking a piece of the skelp or late having the previously formed thickened edge portions and bending the same into ring form and welding the ends together as will be readily understood. And in other ways I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A middle ring or coupling sleeve for pipe couplings having clam ing rings and compressible packings, sai ring having at each end packin engaging portions of greater thickness t an intermediate portions, the surplusmetal at the ends projecting to one side of the wall of the ring and the intermediate portions of the ring wall bein bowed in a direction toward the side on w ich the said surplus metal projects, substantially as described.

2. A middle ring or coupling sleeve for pipe couplings having clam ing rings and compressible packings, sai ring havin its end portions thickened to provi de pac ing engaging portions of greater thickness than the intermediate portions of the ring, the said packing engaging portions having a face inclined to the axis of the ring, surplus metal disposed entirely at one side of the ring wall, the intermediate portions of the ring wall being curved so as to resent convex portions on the same side as t e said projecting portions, substantially as described.

3. A middle ring or coupling sleeve for pipe couplings having clam ing'rings and compressible packings, sai middle ring having its end portions thickened to provide ing engaging portions of greater thic ess than the intermediate portions of the ring, said intermediate portions being disposed out of a straight line and havin the center I part of the ring substantially in line longitudlnally with the centers of said thickened end portions,

.substantially as described.

4. A middle ring or coupling sleeve for pipe couplings having clamping rings and compressible packin s, said ring being composed of wrought meta having its end portions upand having the I set to provide thickened packing engaging portions, the intermediate portions of the ring being disposed substantlally in line with l the centers of said thickened portions, subi said thickened portions, 5 stantially as described. scribed.

5. A middle ring or coupling sleeve for pipe couplings having clamping rings and compressible ackings, said ring .being composed i of wroug t metal havin its end portions Witnesses:

10 thickened to provide packing engaging porl F. P.

tions, the surplus metal projecting laterally i T. P. RYAN.

to one side only, and the intermediate portions of the ring 'bein bowed so as to bring them substantially in ine with the centers of substantially as de- In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK N. SMITH.

SCHOONMAKER, 

